


A New Avenger

by MoonstonePuppy



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-10-13 03:46:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17480564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonstonePuppy/pseuds/MoonstonePuppy
Summary: Two borrowers. An experiment. A grudge. The avengers...





	1. The Day That Everything Changed

Sammy was a young girl. Fifteen- she'd turned it not too long ago. Two of her birthdays had been missed thanks to the lab, and two of the people most important to her. She'd had to perform an amputation on her left arm, but thankfully, though she was a young borrower, she'd been taught medically since a young age. She was a prodigy, folks would say. So talented. So many abilities. She would scoff at them, turning bright red and going alone to fiddle with a paperclip- a habit she'd developed like her father. Sammy never wanted this to happen... But as her philosophy was; 'The past is the past, the present is the present, and the future is the future. Borrowers are borrowers and humans are humans. The dead are dead and the living are alive. There's nothing you can do about it...' As sad as the rule was, it was true.

A borrower was helpless to a human.

Until one day...

It was peaceful in the lab that day- which made it all the worse. She'd counted the days... Today was a day for one of the big experiments. It'd probably be extra painful thanks to her helping her brother escape and trying to escape herself. They would've killed her- but she was the only test subject they had left and so they had to begrudgingly deal with her. Sammy had many schemes they knew about. She was very smart- but too snarky and rude. Sometimes it would be amusing to them- watching her get so peeved at them but all they had to do was poke her and she would topple over helplessly. Sometimes they even forgot to do an experiment, but they never noticed. Sammy did... It's why she did it.

She was skilled, prepared and amazingly secretive. It was great fun to attempt to break her down was what the bad man thought, constantly touching her. He wouldn't allow her to do something as simple as wear a shirt or bra, but almost immediately she put on bandages to her top half. In the lab, the scientists who genuinely just seemed lost and did as the bad man said, they said that the bad man had to allow 'it' to wear bandages. Which meant that she always had some sort of cover... Sammy was claustrophobic, nyctophobic, aquaphobic, and aichmophobic. And the bad man took every opportunity to enforce her fear. Rules, punishments, just simple toying. She was used, beaten, broken, experimented on, thrown about and teased every day, but the funny thing about this test subject was that she barely ever complained. She only ever got extremely heated when her younger brother was taken from the jar they were kept in together, and panicked when she was near water. The bad men thought it funny though. His amusement was all this was for...

But anyway- today was the day for a big experiment. She might as well get it over with- there was no way out of these experiments... Sammy sat everyday inside her jar, head leant back against the glass, and knee curled into her chest. She watched the doorway at all times, and immediately stood when someone came in. That was a rule. This time it was the kinder doctor. He seemed to have just been dragged into this... Even so, he still thought she was an it and didn't ever talk to her. He was just more gentle and occasionally pet her to calm her down. Out of pity, she pretended it helped and hid her flinch. The young man stepped over, and Sammy stood straight, cautiously watching each and every movement. He muttered some things to himself, offered her a light and sheepish smile, before unscrewing the jar's lid. Ever since she'd managed to escape from the tall enclosure, they kept on a lid. It had air holes of course though... Without any words, he picked her up out of the jar and carried her in a gloved fist. She'd been rumored to bite...

Sammy wasn't allowed to talk in front of the scientists. She had tried, but they got freaked out because of thinking she was incapable of communication. Eventually they were convinced by the bad man that her species reacted like parrots. Then she was punished... She simply accepted it and continued. Eventually, they arrived in the lab room. She was placed on a desk, and the human winced before taping down her three limbs she had left. She simply rolled her eyes and watched the grey ceiling. "Ready...!" The human called, and another two scientists came in. One was constantly typing notes onto a computer that was held on a desk with wheels. The other had brought in a bunch of tools. Sammy didn't look... They would all be sharp, and she knew it. "Prepare the anesthe-" The kinder doctor began to say, before he was interrupted. 

"Boss said 'at we ain't usin' anesthesia today..." The man writing notes murmured, not even looking up. He had a heavy New York accent, and always looked tired. Despite this, his eyes were constantly on a screen and you could almost see the words he was typing reflected in them. The kinder doctor gulped. "F-for this one...? Don't you think we should..." He trailed off. The guy with tools and a mask shook his head. "We don't go against his orders, Dr. Collins... I'm sorry- I know you dislike this job. But we've gotta do it." This one had a smooth voice. Sammy had nicknamed him 'pond'. The New York one was 'bear' and then the kinder one was 'rabbit'. It was much easier than thinking about what their qualities as a human were... Rabbit sighed, and nodded. "I'll keep an eye on the vitals..." He walked over to the screen with the vitals, arranging anything he may need in case it went south.

South-er than it was bound to go already...

Pond took graceful and confident steps over to Sammy, readjusting his gloves. "I'm sorry..." He murmured. He was the only one that knew that she could understand him.. He pretended he didn't however because he had seen what happened to the poor girl whenever he didn't listen to the bad man. The bad man was simply a bad man to everyone... The problem was that all the bad was directed at the family of borrowers, and now there was only one left... Sammy just shut her eyes, relaxing herself. It hurt more when she was tense. Pond took a needle. "Doll, I need you to open your eyes...." He said quietly. Sammy didn't shake her head but slowly opened them. Before she could brace for it, she choked on her own breath. Ten seconds passed before she let out the most bloodcurdling scream. Her teeth had previously been gritted as she tried to keep her face still. She wanted so bad to scream for them to stop, but she couldn't have even done it if she was allowed. "It's almost over, doll..." Pond said in his soothing voice, eyes shining with worry. He wished he could've saved the family as soon as he realized how wrong this pursuit of discovery was. But when he confronted the bad man, a gun was pulled and his family broken apart. And so he went back to work... Every time he thought about it, he winced.

There was a needle in Sammy's left eye. It burned, it stung, and it was horrible. She felt something running through her veins which almost seemed to be glowing through her tanned skin. It felt so cold, yet a prickling and burning sensation ran through her entire being as she fought to stay still. Then it was out... And her screaming became huffed breaths. There was blood trickling from her eye, where the needle had been placed. She didn't care about that though, she cared about how she could see absolutely nothing through either eye and why she they still burned...

Sammy glanced up at the human weakly, faintly aware at how labored and pained her breaths were. "You're eyes... They... They're-" Before Rabbit could finish, Sammy screeched again, thrashing against the tape that held her down. "Shh shh, doll... If he hears you he'll-" Pond was also interrupted, his body suddenly overtook with the same colored glow as her eyes. See- what Rabbit had attempted to say was that her eyes were glowing. They were fully consumed by neon cyan flames, and her hair seemed to be flowing above her head. The aura threw Pond against the solid metal war, to which he was knocked out and fell silent... "Wha' the fuck...!?" Bear exclaimed, looking up from his screen for once. Rabbit was huddled up against one of the deactivated machines, fear in his eyes.

Sammy couldn't see... She couldn't see...! The adolescent almost immediately sat up, finally managing to take up the tape on her only remaining arm. Her screeching had yet again became labored breaths and she clutched her left eye. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME....!?" She yelled at the humans. Rabbit looked extremely surprised and worried. "Parrot response..." Bear mumbled to him, as though explaining it. Sammy quickly snapped her head in the direction she thought he was in. "I AM NOT A DAMNED PARROT...!! I CAN HEAR YOU...!! I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU...!!" She growled out, and Bear's body was also enveloped in the cyan aura as he was thrown back as well. This time, his head hit first. He would forget everything about himself- his name, family, age, everything.

Rabbit flinched away. Sammy lowered her voice to a pained hiss, tearing off the tape from her legs. She didn't know why it was so silent, but somewhere inside her she could feel what had happened. Feel the new power within her... "I- I didn't know..." Rabbit repeated quietly, almost crying. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to d-do it..." He shook in a ball by himself. Sammy snapped out of it almost immediately. She couldn't stand crying... She stepped up closer to the edge, glow dissipating and hair settling at her sides. She said nothing more, and looked to a pin somewhere close by. She'd memorized it's location... Apparently it was an Angel Class weapon with a divine power, but she didn't believe that. It was just a regular pin... Granted- the top part was gold, and the pin had an odd feeling when you looked at it, but it was a pin. And it'd do... She quickly took it, and stumbled to the edge of the desk. She was going to kill the bad man... For everything he'd done to her family...

Now- as your narrator I don't want to waste your time with gore and stuff. But Sammy took that pin and after a few attempts she managed to pick it up with her magic. She then held onto it's handle and made it carry her towards the room HE was always in. After a moment of angsty-words, she used the pin like a knife, holding him down and stabbing it straight through his neck. For some reason, her pin was so sharp that she had no problem cutting through him. Then they all lived happily ever after!

.  
.  
.

No? You aren't happy with my ending? Alright...

Sammy looked around the dark room cautiously, her glowing eyes dissipating enough for her to see. She was still blind in her left eye, but that couldn't be helped... Her right eye had spots in her vision, yet they weren't what you would see before passing out. They were like blotch marks from a fire... Despite her now awful eyesight, she could tell that somehow, she was a foot tall. She closed her eyes almost immediately as pain shot through her eye again, and winced. "This eye...." The borrower muttered through gritted teeth, holding it with her only hand. When she reopened them, she was now three feet tall... She could vaguely feel an odd pain through her entire body, and almost see the surroundings change. Her head snapped towards the door however when she could just barely hear a car speeding off. Probably Rabbit... She sighed. Sammy hadn't meant to give such a scare. Bear was the only scientist she really hated... The other two weren't great, but they definitely weren't bad.

By the time she focused on the room again, she'd reached just over five feet tall and was slowing down now... At the full height of five feet and three inches. A human's height... Shoot. She couldn't be human height and search for her brother! So many borrowers would get a scare- and from what she'd seen, humans didn't barge into other people's house and break down the walls. She felt tired anyway- exhausted actually. Stiff... The adolescent didn't even realize she'd been walking until she realized she was at the exit for the lab. At this height, the dark place looked so small... She shuddered, pressing her one remaining hand against the door and pushing it open with a blink. It was light! No borrower could open a door like this one without help... But she simply... Pushed it open..?

Sammy's leg's shook and she began running. Wow... It was so fast...! No borrower could ever hope to go this fast with the use of their legs... Sammy almost found herself smiling, before she slowed her pace and watched the ground. No. She had something to do.. And running put borrowers in danger of being trampled on. She vaguely found herself continuing to stiffen and slow as she walked further from that dastardly lab and towards a large building. That would be her best bet at finding Tanner. She was almost at the door, now shakily dragging across the ground with what little strength she had left in her one arm. She reached forward to try and push open the door like she had before, but all she achieved was slumping down and passing out...

Tony was in the lab, working on a prototype for another arc reactor, when JARVIS spoke up. "Sir, there is a stranger laying unconscious at the entrance to the tower. Would you like me to alert the others?" Tony glanced up. "Huh? Um.... JARVIS, why is there someone unconscious outside..?" He asked, confusedly, standing up. "I do not know sir..." Tony sighed and stretched. "Alright. I'll go- don't tell the others." He clicked his tongue, looking around. "There it is...." The man muttered, taking his blue t-shirt and putting it on, before taking the elevator to the front. Upon exiting, he paused. "It's a... kid...?" He knelt down, sympathy crossing his vision. They were missing their left arm, tense even in their unconscious state.

"Bring them in..."


	2. First Glance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy's been taken into the Avenger's tower, and now at human height! How will she adjust?

Sammy's eyes fluttered open, scanning around for something. She'd passed out again- which was against the rules... Sammy barely ever slept after she woke up once with a punishment for not being on alert. With a sigh of relief, she remembered what had happened. She was still HER. Her tanned skin, long and straight blonde hair that fell by her waist (she'd never cut her hair), with a parting straight down the middle, bangs and two long side parts that hung over her shoulders. She had the bandages on her top half still, but there was something else... A shirt- a human one at that. It looked like it belonged to a guy, but she didn't care. It was blue, faded with a few oil marks and the words 'BILLIONAIRE AND PROUD' on it in red and white bold lettering. It also seemed baggy, probably going close to her knees...

Sammy looked around quickly as she realized she wasn't in the same place she'd passed out, and spotted a mirror beside her. Her eyes had changed color... Instead or their dark hazel-ish blue, they were neon cyan like the glow and everything she saw had that tint to it. She sighed lightly, propping herself up on two arms. That was from the experiment... Tanner had had one like it- but his eyes stayed the same aside from where the white should be became dark grey and darkened the more he got close to tears. Sammy's eyes widened. Tanner! She was supposed to be searching for him, not sitting around at staring at her ugly mug in the mirror...

"You're awake?"

The borrower-turned-human snapped her head over to the voice. It was a human, six feet and one inch. She pretended that she wasn't freaked out, narrowing her eyes and saying nothing. The man chuckled lightly, placing a tray down on the table beside her before sitting on a chair beside her bed. Sammy scooted a little further away,but kept the tired glare on her face. "Sorry- sorry..." The man said with the wave of a hand, then pointed to the food. "I brought you something to munch on- and some pain killers if ya need it..." Sammy looked at the food skeptically. "Poison...?" She murmured after a moment, looking at the man again. His charming grin faltered for a moment. "No. No poison.." Sammy folded her arms and sat back, stubbornly looking at the ceiling. "Prove it..." The human raised an eyebrow lightly. "Ah- alright..." He picked up a piece of food that she'd been given- a blueberry. Sammy knew that blueberries were supposed to help with pain. So it was a smart human, or a lazy one... Sammy watched him eat it with scanning eyes. He didn't seem apposed to eating it. Perhaps he memorized the location of which wasn't poisonous in case she asked... If he said no in response to her suggestion now- he was a smart human. But also a bad one...

"Let me pick it..." It wasn't a question. The human just gave a short nod. Sammy looked at them all before picking one up and handing it to him. "Eat." She ordered. The human yet again chuckled. "You're demanding..." But he ate it anyway. "See? I'm not dead. No poison..." He repeated, showing his hands in a way that generally meant 'I mean no harm'. Sammy huffed lightly before taking one blueberry and turning around to face the wall as she ate. She hated people watching her eat... Though the man didn't object her turning away, he looked a little confused. Sammy finished three blueberries in all before she turned back and leant with her head against the headboard. "What, no thank you?" The man said with a grin. Sammy looked at him with a glare before going back to looking at the ceiling. "Where am I...?"

The man's eyebrow's knitted together. "You don't know who I am? Tony stark? Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist?" Sammy shook her head. "You sound like an asshole though.." Came her retort, simple with no sense of playfulness behind it. 'Tony' mocked offense, then looked at her stub where her left arm used to be. "Avengers tower. You're in one of our recovery rooms..." Sammy put a hand on the stub and turned away. "Great..." She glanced out the window behind her. This was the building she was trying to get into before... "So, kid..." Tony began, not staring at her like he had been before after he noticed how uncomfortable with it she seemed. "What's your name? I mean, I told you mine, so it's only fair..." He flashed a charming grin and chuckled.

Sammy gave him a tired look. Her name was Samantha Lou Button- but Button wasn't a human name. "Samantha Lou Collins..." The borrower murmured. Rabbit's last name was Collins, and it seemed to suit her name just fine. "But just call me Sammy." She finished, putting emphasis on the 'just' and 'Sammy'. She'd never particularly liked her name. It was either Sam or Sammy. Tony smirked. "Does that make us pals?" His voice held a playful tone, witty as usual. Sammy narrowed her eyes. "No. It means I've given you my name, and you should respect what I prefer to be referred as..." Her voice was always so calmly sharp. As though if you didn't listen to it, you would shrivel up on the spot.... Demanding. Tony decided to not push further. The way she worded it made it seem as though it was a threat.

"So what happened? I found you passed out on my doorstep.." He changed the subject. Sammy paused for a moment... She couldn't say what had really happened yet until she figured out how much she could trust the human. She had to get him to trust her however, just enough so she could search for her brother... "I escaped a bad situation. Overworked myself... I was trying to get somewhere big so if the people came searching then it'd be harder to find me." Sammy explained vaguely, glancing at her stub. "Speaking of- do you have any supplies that I can use to make an arm? It kind of sucks to only have one..." Her comment was sarcastic, as most of them were, but still seemed serious and threatening. Tony raised an eyebrow again.

"You're what- fourteen? I doubt you'll be able to make one yourself... I could-" He was about to offer her help! Sammy wouldn't have that. "I'm fifteen first of all- and my family was highly skilled at inventing things. I've made hundreds of gadgets... And no. I don't need your help.." She rolled her eyes, before swiveling around and standing up out of the bed. Her black leggings had some stitching down the side, with a brown patch on her right knee. She had on some fabric brown boots, good for running in, and when she checked her side for the pin, she noticed that it wasn't there... Sammy patted herself down, feeling something in her pockets. It was the pin... God- it was minuscule. Was that how small she was?

Tony gave her an odd look. "Why do you have a needle in your pocket?" He asked bluntly. Sammy glared yet again, but begrudgingly answered. "Weapon." Tony snorted, then burst out in laughter. "That? Sorry, kid... That's not a weapon." He wiped away a fake tear and chuckled. Sammy held the pin between two fingers eyes momentarily flashing a sharp gold. The pin flashed, and within a second was now the correct size for a sword. The borrower stared at it in half surprise for a moment, then poked it through a small hold that she had on her brown belt. She huffed. "I think it works just fine, dummy...." Tony stood up after a moment, surprise clear on his features. He then looked at her seriously. "Where did you get that...?"

Sammy didn't even look at him, patting herself down again with her one hand. She didn't have any other supplies she'd saved. Sucks... "That's my business. I suggest you don't ask..." Was the only reply she gave. Tony faltered yet again, wincing. "Right um.... Let's just show you the lab, right..?" Sammy's eyes quickly widened and her serious and calm demeanor went away. "A lab...?? What do you have in there...??" She hoped to god that Tanner wasn't in this building now. This human had a lab, and if she found any signs of a borrower being held captive in there, she would destroy this place... "Machinery, tech, suits, a fridge full of beer- though you're underage. I might be immature but I ain't giving a kid some of my drinks..." Tony replied, noticing the change in demeanor. "You aren't hiding anything, correct..?" Sammy continued to press. Tony yet again looked at her oddly and nodded. Sammy wouldn't believe it until she saw it...

Tony stopped at the entrance to his lab, and went to put in the code. Before it finished though, Sammy loudly said into the door. "We're going into THIS lab, right???" Tony looked dazed and confused. "Um... Yeah...?" Sammy had done it for the purpose of properly warning them to hide if there were any borrowers out. She wasn't about to just let the human see any of her kind. Not in a lab... She shuddered but kept a poker face. The door opened...

The borrower faintly heard something scramble behind something, but didn't pay attention. If it was a borrower, she wouldn't alert Tony to the presence or frighten them by possibly seeing them. She knew the direction however, and walked the other way. "These all look like good materials. What tools have you got? I mean- I can use my hands, but I might get electrocuted or something..." She mumbled, glancing at Tony. Good... He didn't seem to have noticed the noise. It was almost guaranteed that it was a borrower because of how quiet it was being, though hopefully it had gotten into the walls by now. When Tony had left, she'd check- discretely of course.

Tony gave a small nod. "Yeah- though I did let one of my friend's use some of the one's you'll need. I'll go fetch them... Don't make a mess." The man stepped back twice, before turning and walking out of the lab. Sammy waited a few moments, then made her way to the other table. The one beside where she'd heard something. She glanced to the side, eyes scanning behind piles of metal. No borrower... Sammy sighed in relief and walked back over to the other table.

A few minutes later, Tony came back with... Nothing? Then a kid around her age stepped out from behind him and waved lightly. Wow... He seemed like a younger Rabbit. Sammy did nothing in return, just watching. He had a box in his hands- full of some tools. "Pete here offered to help out- just so it can be quicker thanks to... Ya know.." Tony explained, nodding to her stub. Sammy put a hand over it again and glared at the man, then looked at Peter with less cold eyes. "Alright... Come on." She gestured to the space beside her.

Peter stumbled a little before standing beside her. "Hi I um... I heard that you're name is Sammy..? I-I'm Peter...!" He greeted sheepishly, then held out a hand. His other hand fidgeted at his side, Sammy could tell... She didn't take the hand for a moment as she scanned him over, and then she smirked lightly and shook his hand once before letting go. "I won't say it's nice to meet you thanks to the situation that brought me here," And that he was a human... "but hi. I'll assume you can craft stuff- and if not then I'll just ask you to help me hold things in place or pass me things. M'kay..?" She said calmly.

Tony looked almost surprised at her change in demeanor, but then he raised a hand to say bye. "I'll check on you both later. Be good..." He winked, pivoting and walking out the lab. "B-bye Mr. Stark...!" Peter called right before the door shut. He then looked at Sammy again. "Yeah that's- ahm- fine..." The teen assured meekly.

"What's first...?"


	3. Vague Findings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were gonna find out at some point-

Sammy and Peter worked on the arms for a while, and by now it only needed a paint job and some wires connecting. They were interrupted however- by Pete's stomach growling. "Ah... You wanna have a snack break?" He suggested after a moment of embarrassment. Sammy hummed in, not looking up as she turned the arm this way and that- before she finally placed it down and glanced at him. She scanned him over again. "We can if you want..." She wanted to see more rooms from this perspective. Maybe she was even allowed to eat something? She wasn't supposed to ask though- wait until it's offered.

Peter nodded and placed down the screwdriver in his hand, picking up a backpack he'd brought down with him. Like a borrowing pack... Though it didn't seem quite as important. Sammy stretched her one arm above her head, exhaled deeply and then took a few steps back. She and Pete began on their way to the elevator, though Sammy kept her eyes scanning the ground.

"Why do you do that?" Peter suddenly piped up. Sammy snapped her head to him, and he flinched. "Watch the ground, I mean..." He reiterated. Sammy turned her head back to the ground and shrugged. "Precaution. You should do it to- it's um... Very important to me..." She scratched the back of her ear awkwardly. It WAS very important to her. If any borrower got hurt because she hadn't been looking- she could never live with herself. Peter gave her an odd look. "Why...?" He watched the ground with her either way. Sammy sighed, knowing this question was coming but doing nothing to prevent it. "I would tell you if I could. You seem nice... But I can't. Just do it please..." Was her only reply. Peter stayed quiet...

They arrived at the elevator very soon after that and Peter started talking. "JARVIS? Can you take us to the kitchen, Mr. Stark is in...?" He asked, looking away shyly when Sammy gave him a confused look. "Of course, Peter." A voice spoke. Sammy backed herself into a corner, eyes showing panic. "Wh-who's talking...??" She demanded, though her voice was in a hushed yell. Peter glanced at her, head tilted. "Um... That's JARVIS.... Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. A-are you okay...? It's not gonna hurt you or anything... It's just Mr.Stark's AI..." He assured, hands shown in the same way Tony had done before. Sammy found it oddly calming, but tried not to show it. She instead took a deep breath and stood up straight, staring at the elevator doors. Pete didn't interrupt her..

The doors of the elevator opened, and Pete stepped through, waiting for Sammy- who followed soon after. Tony looked up from his phone, and looked at the two. "Oh. Hey Pete, Sam." He nodded to each of them, Sammy doing nothing in response and Peter waving before walking over to the fridge. "Hey Mr. Stark? Is it alright if I make sandwich for me and Sammy?" He asked, looking up from the fridge. He knew the answer would be yes... Just as predicted, Tony nodded and waved a hand dismissively, smirking. 

"Of course-" "What's a sandwich..?" Sammy interrupted after a moment. The scientist almost choked on his interrupted words, whilst Peter swiveled around to look at her. "You... Don't know what a sandwich is...? Um- it's ingredients between two slices of bread... Here, I'll make you one..." As he spoke, he was already taking out ingredients. Tomato, lettuce, white bread, butter, turkey and cheese. Sammy looked at it all with an odd fascination, but kept her regular poker face...

Soon the sandwich was ready, with Tony constantly watching Sammy with both pity and caution. A plate was slid over to her, and Sammy tapped it. "You call this a...plate.... Right...?" She stretched out the word, sounding it out and glancing at both humans. Peter nodded, confusion yet again shining in his eyes. Sammy huffed. "Can you both stop looking at me like I'm crazy...? My family couldn't get stuff like this... Like- at all." Tony quickly diverted his eyes and Peter smiled sheepishly, taking a bite of his sandwich and sitting down. Sammy watched for a second, poked the sandwich a few times, then picked it up and took a bite. Almost immediately she began coughing, spitting it out.

"Holy- why are there so many flavors....!?" She asked, halfway between disgusted, fascinated and hungry. Her taste buds weren't used to such odd taste combinations... Tony facepalmed as Peter chuckled. "Yeah maybe um... Maybe I should've done something more simple... Sorry..." He took back the plate, but Sammy grabbed his wrist. "N-no...! Don't..." She was starving- and overwhelmed. Despite her mostly not letting it show, sometimes her mask slipped... Sammy noticed however and quickly let go of the startled Peter's wrist, dusting her lap off and diverting her attention to avoid looking at either human. Peter had left the plate alone now...

"Kid- you can have as much food as you want..." Tony began, hands yet again in the 'I mean no harm' position. Sammy didn't reply... She was sure to be punished like this... She'd ruined everything... As her thoughts ran wild, her eyes began glowing, not enough to blind her, but enough for Peter to notice. "Sammy... Um... Your eyes- they're glowing..." He trailed off, Sammy covered them almost immediately, voice finally working as her thoughts came to a halt.

"Yeah... They- they do that... Just don't make me angry and nothing will happen..." She honestly didn't want to hurt either human. She hated this ability just as much as it benefited her. Because to get it she'd had to lose so much... "You sound like Banner.... Come on-" Tony slowly pulled her into his chest. "What happened to you? I know it wasn't as vague as you described..." He smirked playfully, in a poor attempt to lighten the mood. Sammy didn't resist, instead sighing. "Why didn't you react to my eyes...?" Her eyes were closed, but her eyebrow was raised.

Tony chuckled and Peter gave her a sheepish look, coming to sit close to the two and be a bit more included and hopefully comforting. Sammy just found it crowded though... "Avengers tower, remember? See- I'm Iron Man- which most people of New York know.." He began. "This is a tower with a bunch of people with odd abilities and such. We even have a god... Thor." He chuckled again and shook his head. Sammy's eyes quickly opened, the aura dancing from her pupils as she scanned Stark's expression.

"Thor? God of thunder? I read about him in a book once..." She murmured. It had taken almost an entire year to read the book of Greek Mythology- thanks to humans constantly coming in and interrupting her reading. "How do you know about Thor, but not what a sandwich is?" Tony teased yet again. Sammy looked away again, and the smirk was wiped off his face. "Point is- I've seen a lot of weird shit. If it's not hurting anyone then I just kind of accept it now..." He shrugged. Peter whined. "Language...!" He pouted and Tony laughed.

"You... Really wanna know what happened..?" It was a rhetorical question. She sighed. "A lab. A bad man. And my family. I only have one cousin and a younger brother left alive- not that you'll ever meet them..." Hopefully. Tony's expression changed from it's light mischievous glint into a pitying glance. Sammy hated it, and glared- the glow deepening. "O-oh..." Peter's smile dropped. Sammy pushed off of Stark however and stood, pulling out the pin she had in her pocket again. "The lab gave me a few powers... Though it did cost me an arm, an eye, both parents, and most of who I was. But eh... I can't change it... Got the powers yesterday..." Her eyes flashed yellow again and the pin flashed before growing into a good sword size. It still looked the same though...

Peter looked curious now, and surprised. "What powers?" It'd be cool to have another person with abilities that was his age- despite how she'd gotten them. Sammy paused and then held the sword back, ready to thrust it at the kitchen counter. She was a great sword fighter- taught by her older cousin, though she stopped as Tony's startled order came through- "Ah ah ah..! Let's go down to the training area if you're gonna start slicing up my tower..." He suggested quickly. Peter looked dazed but laughed as Sammy cleared her throat, poking the pin through her belt that had a specific slip for it to fit and they all made their way to the training room.

Sammy looked around, not letting the curiosity show in her expression. She instead took out the pin, making a quick figure eight motion before holding it ahead of her. Her posture was straight and controlled, looking straight at a target. She'd done something similar when she was being taught by her cousin, though it was a much smaller environment and she used her left hand. She was ambidextrous- though she often favored her left hand and it soon became a habit. Her left arm was gone however, so she'd have to make due with her right. Beggars can't be choosers...

"Alright... Show us what you've got, Sam..." Tony encouraged, taking a seat back beside the elevator entrance. Peter did the same, eyes shining with anticipation. Sammy took a few deep breaths, sword now just in front of her nose with her closed eyes. As she opened them she dashed forward, making a few complex sword patterns before standing again in a half bowed position. The tattered dummy had been sliced through easily, falling to the ground. There was silence for a few moments until Sammy stood, looking over her shoulder at the two humans. "That wasn't a power by the way... I learned all those tricks when I was five...!" She called, rolling her eyes and looking around at the other targets she could use. Her eyes landed upon a few that seemed simple enough. Whilst Sammy was asleep, she'd had visions. Instructions. Nightmares... She'd been shown what powers she had, but not how to use them- though so far she just had to focus on a specific target and clear her mind. Maybe she could try this one out...

Sammy pointed the tip of her pin at a dummy, eyes glowing a little more. The tip of the pin did the same, until eventually the glow collected onto the tip in a compressed and dazzling ball of plasma. She then let it loose.... The plasma hit into the dummy and left burn marks and dents, but nothing more... She scanned it over, re-sheathing the pin before her eyes glowed again. The glow enveloped said dummy, and she made a gesture with her hand into one of the walls, and the dummy was quickly flung in that direction. Both Tony and Peter watched in awe, though Tony just seemed impressed and Pete excited.

Sammy turned around to them both, body shaking a little. The plasma blast had taken a lot out of her... "That's all.... Though I can combine my powers to do stuff like float, blow things up by striking it, and even use the pin as an arrow when it's small... Control it with my eyes and that... The pin is special too- it can cut through anything.... Though my powers have a limit and the pin doesn't. It tires me out until a go unconscious depending on what I've used, how long I've used it, and what I've used it on." A thought came to her... If when she first used the telekinesis on a human, she was only four and a half inches tall- then a human the same size as.... Let's say Tony- they would be around sixteen times her height. At this height, that means they'd be about ninety feet tall... She could pick up BUILDINGS..!

Sammy snapped out of her thoughts as Tony snapped his fingers in front of her face. "You with us, kid?" She jumped a little, then silently nodded. "That was really cool...! I can do some stuff too- but um... I'm still a bit worn out from my last fight..." Peter murmured sheepishly. Tony pat his back a few times with a chuckle. "Yep... You're still grounded for that stunt..." He looked at Sammy again, but she was looking somewhere else- staring actually.

Sammy was looking straight at a borrower, her little brother's frightened eyes staring right back. He looked like he asked something, still in shock- though when Sammy took a small step closer, he dashed back into the walls. Sammy;s eyes were wide, worried, guilt-ridden and frustrated. Idiot! You can't just walk up to him like that...! He's TERRIFIED of you now...! Even so, Sammy ran over to the now probably empty wall, skidding in front of where Tanner had gone.

"W-wait...!"


	4. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I solemnly swear...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short, because I'm hurting now and I need my medsss

Both Tony and Peter looked at Sammy in surprise. "Sammy..?" The teen asked after a moment, approaching with slow steps. Sammy appeared to be panicking, hands rested lightly on the walls and staring at her knees- that had been a little burnt thanks to skidding. Why did I do that? How could I do that....? He's only twelve for god's sake..! And by bringing my attention to him, he could've been seen by a SCIENTIST...!! What is wrong with me...!? She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Peter, quickly dusting herself off ad standing up on two shaky knees. She felt tired... "I-" She paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine... Hallucinations- I get them sometimes..." Oh how she wished that that entire scene was one of them- but she knew it wasn't.

Peter gave a curt nod, not pushing any further. From what he'd seen from the girl so far, she hated showing weakness- one of the few things they had in common- though she showed that in a different way than he. "Alright, ahm..." Tony looked around. "Why don't you both finish making the prosthetic? I'll come supervise if you-" "No!" Sammy interrupted, then swiveled around to look at him, regaining her calm demeanor. "I want to finish it. Alone..." Yet again, it wasn't a question. She looked at Peter. "Sorry, Pete..." Honestly, she didn't feel very sorry, though a little bit of guilt ran through her. "It's only the paint job- and I don't really need to do anything to it than I can see besides neatening it up and painting the family crest... So I don't really need any help.." She assured.

Pete smiled lightly, and nodded yet again. "Alright... If you need anything- just ask JARVIS, and someone will come down..." He reminded, picking up his backpack again. Tony didn't look so convinced, but agreed silently. As he walked by he tapped Sammy's shoulder, not even stopping to look at her. He then saluted, stepping into the elevator. "Good work today, kid. We'll make an Avenger of you yet... First requirement is an ironic superhero name, and second is a suit. See ya-" He smirked playfully and Peter laughed from beside him. The elevator doors shut and Sammy was left alone.

The first thing Sammy did was slide down to the ground with her knees to her chest and looking at the ceiling- much like she did in the jar at the lab. "Tanner....? Are you still there....?"

.  
.  
.

No response.

Sammy sighed and pushed herself back up, taking the elevator to the lab. "JARVIS?" Wow, she felt silly for talking to herself... That was twice already- unless Tanner was just too scared to reply. She didn't blame him... "Take me to Tony's lab." She commanded. "I'm sorry, I do not have-" The voice paused. "New identification. Welcome- Ms. Collins.." It finished, just as the elevator began moving. Sammy sighed and leant against the wall of the elevator, waiting. There was a 'ding!' as the elevator arrived. "You have arrived." Came the voice again, causing Sammy to roll her eyes as she stepped back into the lab. She waltzed up to the arm, beginning to paint a spirally oak tree with one red leaf. It was done in only an hour...

 

~PLACE CHANGE BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT ANGST IS GLORIOUS~

Tanner didn't know what had happened. He didn't know if that was his sister or not- and both hoped they were and they weren't. He couldn't stand to face them- just in case. If it was Sammy, she would say his name... He came out of the walls and into the kitchen, searching for some dry food to stash. He hadn't eaten for a day or two now- not that he really minded. It just felt... Uncomfortable.

The young borrower hadn't noticed that the elevator doors hummed, signifying that they would open soon until a loud 'ding' interrupted his thoughts. "You have arrived." Came that loud voice that seemed to be coming from all directions. He quickly hid behind the closest appliance- a blender. Wow... Great choice. It's see through.. Tony- one of his multiple hosts- came strutting in, not even noticing that the borrower was there.

Until he did...

Before Tanner knew what had happened, he was under an empty glass- that had previously held whiskey. He was trembling, pressed against the glass as far back as he could go with his eyes darkening- signalling tears that would be sure to flow. "What the hell...?" Tony murmured, leaning closer to the glass with scrutinizing eyes. "M-Mr. Stark....? I think you're scaring them...." Peter pointed out, not exactly approving of the creature being trapped, but also very much curious.

"Huh? Oh... Um..." Tony began awkwardly, snapping back into reality just as a tear fell from the creature's eye. He wasn't scared- he was terrified, the trembles that racked the little guy's body even shaking the glass. Tony kept it still however, wincing. "Hey hey hey- kid we aren't going to hurt you..." He tried. Peter opened his mouth to add some more comforting words, but it was then that the elevator dinged again. And Sammy stepped out...

Upon entering, Sammy's scanning eyes landed on the glass that both human's attention had been directed at. Almost immediately her eyes widened, and she shoved them both out of the way, taking the glass off, with her eyes glowing a little. Tanner stumbled back, scooting into the wall and flinching. He hoped to god that was his sister- though he wouldn't believe it if she just said it. Sammy's eyes weren't that color... Sammy had two arms... And Sammy wasn't a human...

His eyes widened in fear, and he quickly flung his arms up to protect his head and whimpered as a hand came towards him. But instead of grabbing him, it just curled up and stayed on the edge, as she knelt in front of him. Though she sent a glare to Tony and Peter. "What were you doing...!? Shutting him in a glass like some... Some... Some bug...!! What in the actual hell is wrong with you....!?" Both humans flinched at her hissed out words, Tony still watching Tanner though and Peter looking down. Sammy scanned them over again, before turning back to her brother. Her eyes and expression dramatically softened, and the glow slowly dissipated.

"Tanner...?" Tanner just quickly shook his head in response. She was probably just referring to someone else... Yeah... "Tanner... I swear it's me..." He squeaked when he felt something pull him forward a little, finding a hand loosely curled around his back. The young borrower opened his terrified eyes and looked up at her. "S-Sammy.....?" He stuttered quietly, voice cracking. Sammy offered a comforting smile, a tear running down her cheek. She felt so so guilty... "It's alright, bud... I'm here...." Sammy continued quietly. Peter looked up again, but nervously. Tony just blinked. "You know him?" Sammy turned and glared again. "I don't think you deserve my answer for what you just did...." She growled. Tony winced.

Tanner went quiet again. Had he really found Sammy- though it was more that she found him... He sniffled and rubbed the black tears from his eyes. Sammy scooped him up with her now two hands (one of which that was made of metal) and held him to just below her shoulder in a half hug, rubbing his back. "I didn't mean to scare you earlier... I promise I didn't- I just... There's no excuse..." She sighed. Tanner shook his head, holding the loose shirt she was wearing in balled fists. "N-no... I... I'm f-fine..." The younger sibling assured quietly.

Then everything went quiet... Tony sat there, scanning the situation and eyes shining with guilt. Peter watched, biting his lip as sympathy dripped from his entire demeanor. He didn't want to interrupt.

But he really wanted the secret's revealed...


	5. Don't Touch The Smol!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You touch le smol
> 
> You DIE

"Tanner, why didn't you go to Oliver like I asked...?" Sammy inquired all of a sudden. Oliver Oak, was their older cousin. Lke them- he too was an orphan- but he was also one of the greatest and most respected borrowers in the area, as well as being a teacher. He was twenty six, with platinum blonde scruffy short hair, dark green eyes, tanned skin (a little darker than what Sammy and Tanner have), a white shirt with a turquoise patch on the left shoulder, black pants with denim patches on each knee, black wellington boots, roman nose, scar on his back going from the shoulder down to halfway down his back (diagonally), brown messenger pack with a red button, red pin, regular fish hook on a dark brown belt along with a piece of glass (used as a smaller blade) as well as a pencil and notepad. He was extremely literate, calm and collected.

Their cousin had began making traveling routes, so that traveling borrowers can stop by and pick up letters. That sparked his entire idea... He began mapping out the entire area of what borrowers lived where, and who they were. He also had reports of the humans they lived with to make visitation or delivery safer. The young man had began a school of sorts, and now he had an 'army' of sixty four, made up of troopers, spies, medics, scouts, and bird riders.

Oliver was one of the first borrowers (known to that area) who had tamed and rode a bird- Rowan, his red cardinal. He lived in a hollow oak tree, between a park and a suburban neighborhood, which was absolutely full of poems, maps, reports, and everything. His troops were used to help endangered borrowers- if there's been report of trafficking, capture, anything. He also goes round the entire area once a year to remake his maps and make sure that anyone he can help has been helped. A great man indeed...

"I-I was waiting for you.... I don't.... I don't know the way...." Tanner replied softly, hands hovering nervously at his chest. He was obviously uncomfortable being with so many people- people that were humans. Kind of... The young boy still wasn't quite leaning on his sister's hands, which made her expression soften even more. He was still afraid... "It's alright, bud.... I'm not gonna hurt you..." She assured gently, before carefully lowering him back onto the counter and slowly removing her hands. In these situations she would usually stroke his back, or make a joke. But now was not the time... And petting him would surely have the opposite effect right now.

Sammy stood back up straight, swiveling around to face Tony and Peter with hands on her hips. Her tears had long been wiped away. Tony opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by the young teen. "Before you say anything- no. You are definitely not meeting Oliver... Not after what you just did." Sammy interrupted, and Tony closed his mouth again. Before he smirked... "Pfft... Were you seriously that tiny? I bet that would be adorable..." The man quipped with a short and joking wink.

Sammy had never been one to get compliments- and as such she was easily flustered. Her face heated up and she grit her teeth. "I was NOT cute..! Shut up..." She huffed, stumbling over her words slightly. Tanner flinched a little from the counter, but he seemed to relax after a moment. That was definitely his sister...

Peter snorted slightly from where he was as Sammy took a deep breath and stayed calm. Now was not the time to go literally blind with rage... "Look. Thanks for not hurting him... And thank you for letting me stay- but I'm supposed...to..." She trailed off. "Oh. Right.... Now that I'm all human sized I can't... Ugh..!" She groaned with frustration. "I always thought being this height would be cool, but this sucks..!" She slumped and slid down against the cabinets until she was sitting on the ground.

Tanner peeked over the side, head tilted. He carefully, but quickly climbed down until he was on Sammy's head- before sliding down a piece of her hair until he was on her shoulder. "I-I still love you...." His voice came out a little squeaky thanks to the less-than-stable 'ground' he was on.

Sammy stiffened slightly when her body registered Tanner standing on her shoulder... His life is in your hands, don't mess it up... She reminded herself. What the young borrower had told her made her frustrated frown become a small lopsided smile. "I love you too, bud.... But I'm dangerous now..." As much as she didn't want to say it, how could she take care of her brother if any move affected him that much? She could kill him on accident, or hurt him just by touching him... "You'll go with Oliver, okay..? He can teach you to read and write... You'll like that right? And I know you've always wanted to fly- he can give you bird riding lessons..." She encouraged, which caused Tanner to quickly shake his head before hugging her neck slightly. 

"I wanna stay with you..."

"Wait wait wait...."Tony interrupted, hands out in front of him as he stood up, before gently letting them back to his sides. "Firstly, I get that Tom-Thumb over here is tiny... But you're his sister..! How could you be dangerous?" He got a glare in return, and Sammy gesturing to her boots, and then to Tanner. "Still..!" Tony continued. "And secondly, bird riding lessons..?" He had a mixed expression between awe, and curiosity. Sure- Tony could fly by himself, but birds? That'd be pretty cool...

"Our cousin began the bird riding when he was 17. He's been teaching for almost ten years... Even though his parents- our uncle and aunt- and his sister were unfortunately killed by birds, he wasn't one bit afraid." Sammy explained. Tony opened his mouth- "No, you still can't meet him." She cut him off.

Tanner slightly huddled away from Tony- who loomed above him and his sister. He was shaking a little, which didn't go unnoticed by the billionaire. Tony took a small step forward and crouched down to be more at eye level- though he was still a whole head above Tanner. If anything he'd just became more intimidating... "Aw... Come on, buddy. I promise I don't bite..." He grinned slightly at the boy, though he kept everything about his demeanor a little softer. Tanner flinched back and as a result Sammy kicked Tony in the stomach. HARD...

"Wrong choice of words, dummy..." The young teen said with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. Tony had doubled over, standing up and stumbling back slightly. That was one mean kick... He groaned, hand holding his stomach as he took in a sharp breath. Note to self- don't piss Sammy off unless you've got on SOME protective gear. Peter stood up quickly, concern shimmering in his eyes as he went to make sure his mentor was alright. "M-Mr. Stark...? Are you alright....?" He questioned, despite knowing that Tony would be fine in a moment. The man nodded slightly, taking another deep breath before standing up straight. "I'm fine, kid..." He assured with a weak smile.

Sammy suddenly scooped Tanner up, who let out a small 'eep' of protest, and stood. "Enough about that. You better not tell anyone about Tanner, or there'll be much more than kicks to worry about...." She narrowed her eyes at Tony, and nodded to Peter as a way of accentuating her point. "No one. Don't take pictures, don't write about him. And don't EVER force him to do anything he doesn't want to do... Don't curse in front of him. Don't touch him unless necessary.... And lastly- don't just leave his existence unknown, hide it... I can't have a bunch of famous idiots spouting about our kind..." She rolled her eyes yet again, before sighing. "Understand?"

Tony and Peter met one another's eyes, and nodded. "Sure thing princess.." "A-alright, Sammy..."

Sammy glanced down at her little brother again. He was shaking again... "Ah- sorry.... I just needed to stand up, and I didn't want you to fall..." She explain herself quickly. Sammy would do absolutely anything for Tanner... He was such an innocent, kind, and intelligent young boy... How could anyone purposefully hurt him? Plus- on the black market where some borrowers were sold, he would be worth millions- thanks to him being a child, trusting, submissive, and shy. Buyers would want to watch him break down, or have that perfect pet... Sammy shuddered slightly, before getting an idea. "I could..." She glanced up at Tony and Peter again. "I could stop them all.... So many borrowers would be... Safe...!" Her face lit up, and she gently placed Tanner onto the counter again. 

"Alright Tanner, you can stay after all. But...!" She held up a finger. "If you need help, then you come to me. Don't put yourself at risk, or attempt to go anywhere that a human is, alright?" Tanner nodded, causing his sister to smile lightly. She cracked her knuckles, eyes holding a mischievous glint.

"Now... I've got some auction parties to crash..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you have questions on my characters- feel free to comment! They'll be answered as soon as I see them :3
> 
> Anywho- Tanner is a smol innocent bab. Sammy is a protective and mentally broken sibling. Let's see how this plays out?


	6. Flashbacks and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Sammy are planning to crash a party- whilst we learn more about Sammy's life before the lab.

Sammy's eyes faintly glowed, but she stopped when she saw Tanner flinch. Right... He didn't know about her abilities she'd gained. She sighed, the glow dissipating gradually from her turquoise eyes, though she offered her little brother a tired smile. "Oye- would one of you two look after him?" She asked, glancing over at Tony and Peter. Tony just gave her that 'of course' look, whilst Peter nervously nodded- he obviously seemed worried about looking after a kid... Sammy decided she trusted him more. "Pete. You." She pointed to him. "Tanner's afraid of the dark and has anxiety. Don't pick him up or use sudden movements if you haven't got his permission- the only exception being if he's in danger...obviously. I trust you to keep him company- he's really a little ball of sunshine when he's happier." She chuckled, giving her brother a wink.

Tanner covered his face with embarrassment. "S-Sammy...." He squeaked out, only causing his sister to pull a face, which made his face light up slightly. Sammy always knew how to make him happy... The two siblings were well fit for each other; Tanner liked learning about psychology, and was very apathetic and kind towards others- but got easily startled and was timid around strangers, whilst Sammy had a few mental disorders that Tanner knew how to help her with, was very mischievous and joking- and knew exactly what to say and do to comfort him or make him laugh.

(Tanner- art owned by me)

Peter just blinked. "U-um... Alright, I can do that." Determination flashed in his vision as he calmly approached the counter towards Tanner. Sammy stepped aside, but watched with full attention as the human crouched beside the counter before offering a small smile. "H-hello... My name is Peter. Peter Parker.." He announced with a sheepish grin and held his pointer finger out in something that resembled offering his hand for a handshake.

Tanner seemed to backpedal when the finger approached, closing his eyes and shielding his face. When he gradually opened them back up, he saw the finger lingering in front of him. The young borrower's face lit up with realization, and he shakily took the finger in his tiny little hands and shook it slowly. "M'Tanner.... T-Tanner Button... It's nice to meet you M-Mister Pete....." He offered a nervous smile, before retracting his hands back to hover near his chest. Peter took his hand back as well, and stood. Tony huffed from the background, though in his mind he was screaming about how adorable they both were.

Sammy waltzed up to him, before grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards the elevator. "Come on. You're coming with me..." She announced firmly, causing the billionaire to stumble slightly before eventually just going with it. It's not like he had much to do anyway- besides tinker around in his workshop, but he decided whatever Sam was talking about seemed more important. She turned back around and gave Tanner a sisterly smile. "I'll be back soon. Tell me if Peter does something you don't like, and I'll beat his sorry a-" She paused. "Ya know..." Tony snorted slightly but nodded, whilst Pete seemed to look even more nervous. Tanner gave a small thumbs up. The elevator doors closed.

"Sooo...." The billionaire began. "We're going to crash a party of some sort? Why?" Sammy sighed.

"An auction party. Because YOUR kind," She pressed a finger against his chest accusingly, giving him a glare. "sells mine." Her hand came back away from him as she folded her arms and looked at the closed elevator doors again. "You don't know anything about borrowers, and you probably want to defend your kind-"

"Hell no! I know how bad other people can be- some even sell their OWN kind. I wouldn't be surprised... I am appalled though." Tony gave her a sympathetic look. Sam hated it...

"As you should be. You know how I had no arm?" Tony's eyes went wide before Sammy could even answer her own question. "Yeah. Humans did that... They also gave me all my scars. And made me half blind. And somehow managed to modify my height? I don't know how that works though..." She sighed, before giving him another look. "And don't start pitying me or anything. I had one of the worst things that can happen to a borrower- but there are still worse things. Worse things that I've met survivors of. I TREATED some of them. Since I mean- I'm a Medic in my cousin's troops."

Tony sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, about to say something- though the elevator doors opened before he could. He decided to simply leave it be. They were now at the ground level, and Sammy stepped out first. She was confident with how she acted- never showing any signs of regret or fear. Of course, she did feel regret and fear; but to make others around her confident, and to keep herself calm, she had to stay that way.

"I could get some of the others to help out-"

"No. They don't need to know about borrowers..." Sammy interrupted, causing the billionaire to sigh again but follow. 'Kids these days...' Sammy took a breath so she could explain how it would work. "You're a billionaire, aren't you? You could be a bidder. If you do that, there won't be any suspicion... How much money do you have in total?"

"12.4 billion. But I can get more..." Tony announced, appalled at the idea of BUYING some people for this mission. But he would spend as much as he could to help out.

"Alright... You definitely have enough to buy them out. It depends on how much others are willing to buy... If someone goes close to half a billion to a billion, leave it and I'll get that borrower myself. I don't want you to run out of money..."

"Well I don't want your kind being sold off, so I'll do it." Tony replied firmly. Sammy smirked lightly, more in a tired way.

"Thanks, dum-dum..." She thanked, before pushing out of the door. "You can fly, right? I think I saw a poster or whatever in one of the human's rooms of you flying. Quite stupid, really... But you were flying."

"Yeah, I can fly. What about you? You didn't show me if you could fly or not..?" Tony inquired, which caused Sammy to grin mischievously.

"Of course I can fly, tin can..! If I combine my abilities on specific parts, I can make my own moves. For example... If I send a blast, I can use telekinesis to control the speed and trajectory. I can also do this..." She took out her pin, eyes flashing gold again as it grew. She then held it upward with an iron grip (learnt from her many times being held at deadly heights), and used her magic to lift up the 'sword', so her feet didn't touch the ground. Tony blinked.

"You're seriously gonna just hold on to that the whole time? That's... Dangerous." He pointed out. Sammy rolled her eyes.

"Obviously it's dangerous... But trust me, I've held onto much scarier things for a much longer time. If I fall, I fall. I have my grappling hook to help out..." She gestured to the grapple gun at her side. That was the single most precious possession she owned- because she and her father had made it. It was a tie to her family... Of course, in comparison to Tanner, it was nothing, but even so. Sammy found her finger tracing over the patterns on the gun, and her mind wandering.

~Flashback~  
Sammy had always been good at building things, interested in technology. She was both annoyed and enamored at how advanced humans were compared to her kind- borrowers. But the young seven year old never told her parents about her curiosity towards what made these gadgets tick... Her dad was the first to find out.

It was an ordinary day for the borrower family; Sammy's mom, Charlotte Button, was teaching Tanner how to sew clothes, whilst he crafted an outfit. It was normal for their family to begin learning at so young- Sammy had began to sew when she was four too. She'd learnt to do many things whilst her cousin Oliver was there to train her. In fact, she was qualified enough to live by herself recently- though her parents insisted she needed to grow up as a child. Sammy had agreed. But on this very day where her dad was whittling a toy car for her brother to play with, her mom was guiding Tanner's hand through fabric with her own dainty ones, and the walls smelled especially of dust, Sammy had began to pack for a trip.

She wasn't going to borrow any supplies, (they had no need at the moment since her dad and her had gone out earlier this morning) she was going to go get a broken clock she'd noticed on the trip earlier. The humans didn't seem to want it anymore, she'd even overheard one of them say that they would throw it away. Oh how she desired the clock... Even if she could just see the inside of it up close, it would be a dream come true. Her dad, Lewis Button, seemed to notice her packing up- and even though Sammy's face was at a constant determined-neutral, today it was leaning more towards determined, and her eyes had a spark of curiosity hovering deep beneath the blue green hue of her irises.

"Where're ya goin' monkey?" He asked, placing down the half-made wooden car. He was good at woodwork- Sammy remembered that she enjoyed the smell of cut wood, and listening to her father hum as he worked. That was how the quiet girl often spent her evenings; laid in a small bed that she shared with her brother, imagining what her dad would be making. Sometimes she guessed- though she often got it wrong. But now he different strokes, and sounds of each inch of wood were familiar, she sometimes got it right.

The young borrower turned around, not seeming guilty of anything. Her dad wore a warm smile, hazel eyes searching her hands; Sammy had a habit of balling her hands up into fists when she felt guilty... Sammy gave her dad the same look as always- a faint smile coming from her eyes but not her lips. "Out." She replied vaguely, hands curling into loose fists. Her dad hummed, as though pondering something before he knelt down to her level.

"What for? Do ya wan' some 'elp?" Her dad's voice always had a casual slur. She had always liked how it sounded, especially when he was whispering.

"Dad..." She whined, hating the fact that he'd made it so she'd have to accept help verbally. It was fine if someone tagged along and said they'd help, but Sammy especially hated when people asked to help out... Her hands balled up fully. Her dad raised an eyebrow, his grin knowing. Despite how Sammy acted, she thought his teasing was funny.

"A'ight Monkey, I'll tag along..." Lewis decided with a chuckle, standing back up and grabbing his light brown messenger bag. It was made of fabric- none of the family quite knew leather work; their shoes were fabric too. Sammy sighed with relief, fists loosening again. She shrugged her backpack onto her shoulders more securely, and moved towards the trap door in the wall, her dad following in tow. It only took about twenty minutes to get to the shelf that the clock had fallen from- and of course the humans were currently out on a family trip. Sammy had checked the calendar; she vaguely thought about how much her mom would want a calendar too.

"A... Broken clock? I'm glad I came along, Sam. Ya definitely wouldn't be able t' bring this back home..." Her dad decided, looking at the large and broken alarm clock. Sammy- whilst internally giddy- kept a straight face as she approached the clock, kneeling down beside it and stroking the small cracked screen.

"I would've managed... You know me, dad." She murmured, barely even glancing up. Lewis seemed to notice her interest in the electric alarm clock, but said nothing. An idea had come to him... It was almost Sammy's birthday- almost January 18th. Currently it was September 29th, 2010. Tanner's birthday was next of course; on October 8th. The toy car was for his birthday... He hummed in thought, before walking over to the alarm clock that was- quite frankly- taller than him and twice the height of Sammy, and got a grip on the base. It took longer than an hour for them to get it to the den...

Lewis wouldn't have even bothered to bring it if he didn't notice that the plastic casing could be used for something- like a table, or something to stop Tanner from trying to follow Sammy out for borrowing, (it had almost got him seen many times) but also because his daughter usually wasn't interested in other things... She was a prodigy- and many things came naturally to her. She'd learnt to sew clothes that could last for at least a week when she was only four- and was almost fully taught a few days before her fifth birthday. Her woodwork was very detailed- though the work was usually just carvings rather than furniture or weapons. She was good at art- even though it was very sketched out and not colorful at all- nor was it creative. She could learn things easily, and do it well, but never was she actually interested in what she was doing. The only times he saw her face light up were when Oliver had come to stay (after his parents had unfortunately died thanks to birds on their way to visit), and when Tanner smiled at her. Gosh, he loved his kids...

The moment they'd brought it into the small playroom within the walls; having a few small Lego blocks here and there, a wooden rocking chair in the corner, a few scribbled out drawings hung onto the dusty old walls, a blue rug, and a small paper crown hung on a small cradle- since the playroom doubled as a nursery; Sammy shooed her dad out, claiming 'she needed to work'. Lewis chuckled, but complied, going back to his woodwork. Tanner was curiously watching his mom cut up a juicy grape and break a large cracker into small pieces- about the size of her hand.

Sammy meanwhile, was fixing up the clock- taking it apart and rebuilding it all by herself. It was like she could see where everything needed to go, and it really just turned out that the only thing 'broken' about it was a cracked screen, and the batteries had loosened slightly. Sammy pushed them back into place, and once she heard the faint ticking, her chest swelled up with pride. She felt like she'd just created life itself, the way that it gently vibrated at each soft tick made her sigh wistfully. If only she could get more gadgets... Even so, she pushed the clock into hers and Tanner's room, right by the foot of the bed, listening to the 'tick tock tick tock' quietly.

When Sammy's birthday had come around, it was her favorite birthday yet- for one, her mom made her bigger clothes that were much better to run and borrow in. Her mom usually made her a skirt, or a dress- but this time she got a pair of overalls with a red button on the pocket. But her favorite gift was from her dad...

He'd brought in a human phone. It worked- but it was a flip phone, and the human had thrown it out when they got a better one. He had also brought some screws, and a battery- as well as some metal string and plenty of metal scraps. Sammy worked all month with her dad, and made a grapple gun. Her dad had painted the family crest on it- a small oak tree with red buttons for leaves and a pin going through the tree trunk. Sammy had it next to her every night (as well as a stuffed bunny rabbit her mom had made for her, that she'd dubbed bu'un (pronounced buh-un), but she doesn't speak of that), and took it everywhere she went. She'd managed to keep it throughout the lab, even though everything else she owned had been taken...

~Flashback End~

Sammy shook her head, and looked forward. Tony seemed to have been rambling about how 'unnecessary risks are unnecessary' and bla bla bla. She sighed, looking determinedly of into the city.

"Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to post every week!


	7. Same But Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly an introduction to side characters, as well as finding more out about Sammy.

Sammy didn't speak at all whilst she 'flew', looking down the entire time. She was afraid of heights, especially if it was out of her control- but this was necessary. Sammy wasn't ready to go roaming the streets. A few of the civilians were pointing at the sight of Tony, cheering 'Iron Man', and Tony seemed to be sucking up the publicity with a few salutes and short air tricks. Sammy rolled her eyes. She didn't care much for publicity, after all, if a borrower got that much attention it wouldn't end well.

They arrived sooner than Sammy had expected, yet again making her wonder about exactly how fast humans were, and silently thanking Tony, a superhero, for not using that power against her or her brother. Not all humans are bad, Sammy knew that. But she couldn't take chances with her brother as vulnerable as he was...

The first thing that Sammy did when they arrived at the location, was kick down the door. She was strong, she had to be to get by as a borrower, so breaking a wooden door down? Easy. She didn't stop whatsoever when she saw how dark the place was, illuminated by her body. The strange thing about Sammy in the dark, was that every vein glowed neon turquoise, and her eyes faintly did too. It was odd to see, and Tony made a mental note to ask why later. For now, the pregnant silence held, until a gun cocked right beside Sammy's head.

"Yo, what ya doin' 'ere?" The voice asked, probably some thug trying to earn money off of her own kind. Sammy's eyes glowed even more as she slowly turned to him. The gun twisted out of his hand with ease, twisting his wrist. Sammy had so much power at human height... At borrower height, she'd controlled humans, meaning at this height just twisting a hand was a piece of cake. Sammy growled slightly. "Doing what needs to be done..." She managed to keep herself from at least killing him. Sammy didn't want to kill anyone who didn't know better. This person sounded like he was in his late teens, he could be being forced to keep watch. She had seen how his hand shook whilst holding a gun. He just didn't understand that borrowers were people... That was all. Sammy huffed, looking back into the darkness.

"You don't deserve to die. But you better tell me where you're keeping all of them. Or else I'll leave you with enough pain for a lifetime..." She threatened, keeping the snarl in her voice. Tony came up behind her, confused and thankful she didn't just kill whoever was in her way. Still... She seemed much older than 15, at least mentally. The guy was holding his wrist, eyes shining with pain and voice shaky. He wasn't in control.

"A-ah, I don't know.... I was just told t' shoot any intruders..." The thug stammered, staring into Sammy's hypnotic glowing eyes. They were swirling with rage, almost like an ocean full of a thousand storms, yet it was calm. It felt like hell resided inside her eyes, and he had to look away. Sammy huffed yet again.

"He's not lying. Hey, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"You keep him somewhere that he can't alert anyone else. He might be semi-innocent, but he's not gonna sit quietly." Sammy explained, taking a step back. Tony nodded, holding the thug's arms behind his back, beginning to tie them up with some loose rope he'd found. He then addressed Sammy.

"Good work staying level-headed, kid. I know how hard it can be when it's more personal..." He praised, only making Sammy roll her eyes.

"Maybe for you, but I stay calm better in bad situations. Because then I sort of know what's gonna happen... But when it's okay? It's hard to believe it'll keep being okay." That was a depressing revelation she'd noticed ever since she was younger. Sammy had a thirst for danger, to keep others away from it. She preferred to be in her own thoughts, but she always felt like something was missing. The lab had been cruel, but there were rules. The lack of those rules in the open world was making her crazy... Tony blinked at her explanation, giving her an odd look. He supposed it sort of made sense... "Anyway, let's hurry up. The longer they're kept here the more panicked they'll become. I'll search the back, you search for any shelves or cupboards." Sammy instructed. Tony nodded, walking around without much problem.

Sammy was slowly approaching the back of this building, since she could only see where her body managed to light up. She didn't want to knock into anything or accidentally hurt one of her kind... Could she be considered a borrower any more? She guessed not.

Sammy could faintly hear someone shushing someone else, although the voice was soft... Almost as though very small. Sammy stepped a little closer, the plasma in her body illuminating a cage, a few jars, etc. She could see plenty of borrowers from here, maybe 10-20. The borrower-turned-human crouched down, eyes never leaving the captives. "You guys know Oliver?" This would be the best way to start.

An adult who was standing in front of the rest blinked at the abrupt question, but didn't reply.

"Yeah, you do." She could tell by how they stiffened at the sound of Oliver's name. "I'm his cousin, Sammy. Me and my family were taken to a lab where I was orphaned, but me and my brother escaped... My brother is still small, but I'm like this. I have a human with me, who helped me out and is here to help you all too, so don't freak out about a guy in a metal suit." She explained, knowing that this would probably be a one-sided conversation until she proved she was helping.

"I'll prove that I know Oliver. His name is Oliver James Oak, he's 26. He is an orphan of Helen and Daniel Oak. His little sister Abigail died of sickness when he was 14. See? How would I find that information if I didn't know him?" Her eyes glowed even more, and the lock of the cage crumpled up like paper, before falling off. Sammy took a step away from the cage, wanting to let them open the cage door. it would show she wasn't taking full control of the situation.

It took a few moments, but eventually the man who'd been standing protectively in front of everyone else stepped forward, hesitantly opening the cage. "What is your...full name?" It was a commonly known fact among the adults about who Oliver's family was. That meant that they knew Sammy's full name, not really her nickname. They knew it was similar however.

Sammy grumbled something about hating her name, but murmured out the answer. "Samantha-Lou Button..."

There was collective murmuring between the captives, before the man stepped out. “Okay… I… Think we can trust you, but… I’m not 100 percent sure on the human friend you spoke about…” He still had to wrap his head around a human-sized borrower. If it weren’t for the fact that she was Oliver’s family, he probably never would’ve believed her.

This man had dark brown hair, fair skin, and a clean face. His clothes were patchy, mostly green shades, with brown leather boots. He probably knew someone that was good with leather, since most of the others had fabric shoes. He seemed more like a travelling borrower thanks to the fact of his clothing colors, but Sammy couldn’t assume. He seemed around his 40s, but again, Sammy wasn’t one to guess blatantly, especially not in a rescue.

“Trust me, if he makes a move I won’t let him touch any one of you, hear me? Just because he helped me out, I’m not putting full trust in him with actually handling you or anything. Which we shouldn't have to do unless it's an emergency, m'kay?” Sammy was quick to assure the group, before she turned her attention to the jars.

The borrowers inside were either unconscious, or injured. Sammy winced, unscrewing the lid for a kid in his late teens, before gently picking his unconscious form up. “I'll need to carry you guys… Try not to freak out if I pick you up, and make sure to say if I touch anywhere that hurts or you don't want touched.”

She delicately began to pick up the other two people in jars, since they were only injured and not unconscious. The first of the two was young and looked like the teen, with emerald eyes and black flowing hair. She was, to out it lightly, gorgeous, and wore a sort of dress and long boots. Sammy could tell that it was her legs that were injured, since she was lying down and flinched the second her legs moved.

Sammy understood what this meant. She frowned, thinking about her own experiences. Bear was a sick man, and although he put on an act of confusion, he knew exactly what borrowers were, and sold them. That's how Sammy had found out about this… And she knew personally just how sick Bear could be.

Sammy couldn't see much of a way to get her out of the jar without causing her pain, so her eyes glowed again and enveloped the girl in the aura. She then gently levitated the adolescent to her hand and placed her beside the older teen.

The other one in the jar, was a younger teen. This one seemed to trust Sammy enough that he let her pick him up with no protest, and he seemed to only have one injured arm. Good...

“I should get your names… I mean- I told you mine so it's only fair.” Sammy announced lightly, wanting to help connect a little more. Get a little more trust.

“A-ahm Paxton Mouse…” The teen with an injured arm piped up, polite. Sammy hoped he wasn't being polite out of fear, but left it. “I have a twin sister called Payton… She's…” He looked over to the cage, pointing her out. Payton bit her lip when the direction of this 'borrower-human’ was turned to her.

“Yup, tha's me.” She waved lightly. Sammy would've waved back if not for her hands holding injured borrowers.

“I'm Katherine, but everyone calls me Kat…” The adolescent with injured legs explained, avoiding Sammy's gaze and speaking in a mumble. She was definitely close to the unconscious teen, since she'd chosen to lean more on him.

“You and him siblings?”

“U-um… Yeah… He's Curry…” Kat explained still barely speaking above a whisper. Sammy pushed no further and looked to the group that had been in the cage.

“My name is Grayson. Grayson Pip. And my daughter…” The man who was essentially the leader of the group was talking again, and looked behind him and to a young girl. He held out a hand, to which the little girl ran over and took his hand. He squeezed it reassuringly as the girl hid behind his leg. “This is Pandora…”

She was introduced to each and every one of them, and counted 15 in total.

There were the triplets; Poppy, Sunflower, and Pumpkin. Poppy and Sunny were tricksters, and extroverted, whilst Pumpkin was envious of her sisters and introverted. These triplets also had an older sister called Pepper, who was protective and motherly despite the small age gap.

There was the young couple; Taylor and Bailey. They were both boys, and whilst Bailey was a sort of jokester, Taylor was a worrywart and was extremely hesitant around Sammy. He could barely even speak at first, whilst Bailey had used comedy to calm his nerves.

There was the orphan; Brooklyn Cents, who was mute. Sammy had learnt her name from a borrower named Briar, who was a close friend of Brooklyn's mom. She translated the sign language that Brooklyn used, as well as looked after her for the most part. They seemed like a cool pair.

And lastly, the loner. A young adult named Claribel Dreamer, who refused to speak to anyone but Grayson. It was hard to even get her out of the cage willingly, since she was shaking so much each time that Sammy spoke. She was uncomfortable when others spoke, and just sort of stayed sitting in the corner until Gray finally coaxed her out.

“Right then. Now that we've all been introduced, I'll have to use my magic on…” Sammy looked for something to use, eventually settling on an empty plastic drawer. She made it float over to the desk that the borrowers were all gathered on, so they could get into the open box. “If you could all step in, I'll make sure to get you home safe and sound.”

As Sammy was saying that, she placed the injured and unconscious gently down in the box first, waiting for the others to get in. In that time, Tony had finished searching and was approaching behind her. His eyes landed on all the borrowers, and his faceplate came down.

“Holy shit.”


End file.
